1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to audio/video entertainment systems, and more particularly, to wall mounting of audio/video entertainment systems.
2. Description of Related Art
Modern multimedia systems such as audio-visual (AV) entertainment systems are increasingly used both in commercial and in residential settings. In the commercial sphere, high-end multimedia systems are installed in conference rooms and hotel rooms, for example, whereas in the residential sphere, integrated entertainment systems that can provide a credible home cinema experience are becoming popular. Multimedia systems typically integrate multiple components such as a display device (e.g., a high-definition television or HDTV, a projector and projector screen, or an LCD screen, LED screen or plasma screen), a loudspeaker system (e.g., 2.0 or 2.1 stereo, 3.1 channel or 5.1/7.1 surround sound configurations), and a signal source (e.g., a radio tuner or TV receiver, satellite receiver, compact disk or CD player, set-top box, IP-based Internet device, an optical disc player such as a DVD or Blu-ray player, a digital video recorder or DVR, and/or a video game console). A multimedia system may further include components or equipment that provides remote control or management, communication, computing, signal processing, switching, amplification and/or power supply functions. In many cases, these and other system components and equipment may be sourced from a variety of commercial vendors and are integrated manually and configured by multimedia system installers to form the multimedia system.
The integration and installation of such multimedia systems raises concerns for the design community (e.g., architects, interior designers), for builders and developers, for equipment installers, and even for end users (e.g., home owners, renters or hotel guests) about how equipment will be mounted or housed, how much space it will take, whether the end result is aesthetically pleasing, and whether it will be possible to upgrade or service the system with relative ease in the future, for example, by replacing or adding components. Further, the equipment must be adequately ventilated to allow for heat dissipation. Finally, it must produce high quality audio and/or video output.
It is especially difficult to address the above concerns given that consumers have strong but divergent preferences regarding which components should be integrated into their multimedia system and specifically how they are integrated or configured. One approach has been to use special furniture or custom millwork for multimedia system installations to address a consumer's aesthetic requirements (e.g., to match room décor) while facilitating flexibility in installation, integration and serviceability of the system. Unfortunately, such installations occupy valuable floor space and are often inelegantly bulky.
In-wall multimedia system installations, on the other hand, while saving on floor space and bulk, lack flexibility for accommodating a consumer's component preferences because many commercial off-the-shelf components cannot be easily mounted inside the confined space of a wall, and moreover, in-wall installation of such components may cause heat dissipation problems that can damage the system. In-wall multimedia system installations further tend to lack upgradability and serviceability due to the typical permanence of in-wall installation and the subsequent lack of access to in-wall system components.
It would be desirable to provide a mounting apparatus for a multimedia system and related methods and systems to address some of these concerns.